This international standard is one that lays down rules and requirements for organizations such as restaurants. The main objective at hand is to make sure that the food or beverages provided for consumption are safe and that they do not pose any kind of risk to consumers’ health.
The Food Safety Management System also uses HAACP or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points so that overall quality is kept in check. This is a system of principles that helps food business operators look at how they handle food. It also introduces procedures to ensure that the food produced is safe to eat.
In India, the FSSAI or the Food Safety Standards Authority of India issues an FSSAI license. Any person or business that takes part in food manufacturing, food processing or distribution needs to have this license. To apply for this license, you will have to submit an FSMS or Food Safety Management System declaration. Through this, you will primarily state that:
• Your restaurant has a plan for food safety that ensures all food articles are stored and cooked in hygienic and safe environments as laid down by FSSAI Rules and the FSSAI Act, 2006.
• Your business will set a food safety management system in place and get it certified by an Accredited Agency once the Agency is notified by the Food Authority.
• Your business meets all general sanitary and hygiene requirements that come under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011.
The FSSAI Act clearly states that every food business operator in India needs to have a valid FSSAI registration if they’re involved in any food production or distribution-related processes. Even a petty food business operator who operates on a small scale needs to acquire this license.
• When you submit your FSSAI application, make sure that you submit your FSMS Declaration. This declaration has to be printed on your restaurant’s letterhead and must be signed by the persons applying for the license, which is stated in the application. Once this is done, you can go ahead and upload your FSMS declaration on the FSSAI portal.
• Your FSMS Declaration will cover multiple aspects. You will have state the names of the owners or partners of the restaurant. Then, you will have to explicitly state the name of the company, along with its entire address in the state or Union Territory that you’ve opened or plan to open your restaurant in. Whether you’re applying for a new license, converting an existing license, modifying an old license or simply renewing an existing license, you will need to submit an FSMS Declaration.
• Next, you will have to mention the nature of your business. You’ll pick the option of ‘restaurant’, which is one of the broad categories that are an option to choose from.
• After these details have been covered, you will have to attest that your restaurant has a specific food safety plan set in place to ensure that all food and beverages satisfy the requirements mentioned in the FSS Act of 2006 and the rules and requirements it states. You will also attest that you plan to put a Food Safety Management System into place and get it certified in the future from an Accredited Agency.
• Finally, the declaration will have to be signed by the applicants with a stamp or a seal, along with their names, addresses, contact numbers and the date and place of the declaration being signed.
There are a lot of perks that come with a Food Safety Management System. So if you’re wondering why you need one at all, there are multiple benefits that come about with an effective Food Safety Management System:
• It plays an important role in identifying any hazards that might show up in the process of food preparation. This way, you can then plan on how to prevent these hazards.
• It ensures food safety at a global level. So if you’re looking to expand your business abroad as well, you wouldn’t have to worry about new safety requirements since you already follow a standard that is internationally accepted and not limited to your country.
• It is a great way to ensure that your food manufacturers and distributors also share the same goal of consumer safety and follow certain rules for it. You don’t have to cross-check the quality of the raw materials or ingredients you receive.
• You don’t have to go out of the way to meet legal or corporate requirements. Your certification does it for you. This will help you save a lot of time and money that you otherwise would have had to spend on legal advice or sketching out guidelines for food safety in your kitchen.
• Local or national food safety standards for retail might need you to acquire an ISO standard to prove that you do focus on consumer safety. With a certification, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of more legal terms or requirements.
• All raw materials, ingredients and food products are safe and hygienic. While this is great for the customers, it also protects chefs and workers or anyone who is involved in the preparation of food.